"Ms. McGuire and her sisters, Christine (the oldest) and Phyllis (the youngest and the lead singer), became pop stars at roughly the same time that rock ’n’ roll was becoming a worldwide phenomenon. But the McGuire Sisters’ music — like that of Perry Como, Patti Page and others of their generation — existed in a kind of parallel universe; the sweet, upbeat innocence of their hit songs like “Sincerely” and “Sugartime” (both of which reached No. 1) stood in stark contrast to rock ’n’ roll’s raucous energy, and the sisters’ genteel image — identical clothes, identical hairstyles, identical smiles — displayed not a trace of teenage angst or rebellion."
The passing of Dorothy McGuire is sad news for us senior citizens. Most of the posters here probably never heard of the McGuire Sisters, but in the 50s, they were very popular, especially among my parents’ generation, which probably felt a little threatened by the advent of the raucous, sexy rock and roll. At the time I would rather have died than admit I liked their clean cut, predictable music, and I’ll be the first to admit it hasn’t worn well – probably too old fashioned even for nostalgia buffs. But try and get 'Sugartime' out of your head once you’ve heard it; talk about an earworm. Rest in peace Ms. McGuire.
